Fabric, especially cellulose based fabric, inter alia, cotton, has a propensity to wrinkle either upon drying after the laundry process or when worn. Permanent press finishes have been used to provide a crisp, smooth garment, however, permanent press processes must modify the fabric itself, either by cross linking of the cellulose fiber or by applying a less flexible coating material. The breathability, especially of cotton, is sacrificed if the applied coating or crosslinking fills the interstices of the fiber cells.
For natural fiber, inter alia, cotton, most coatings must be chemically reacted with the fabric fiber itself in order to obtain the desired level of anti-wrinkle properties. This type of treatment also can occur during the synthesis of polyester fabrics as well. To achieve controlled deposition, there must be an affinity for a fabric surface and the ability of a substrate to lie down onto the garment surface is key to achieving and maintaining a smooth fabric surface.
There is, therefore, a long felt need in the art for a fabric treatment system which provides anti-wrinkle benefits to fabric regardless of fabric type, and which does not require chemical bonding of the substrate to the fabric itself.